Love Won Out
Encyclopedia
Love Won Out is an ex-gay
ministry launched by Focus on the Family
in 1998. It was founded by John Paulk
. Its stated purpose is "to exhort and equip Christian churches to respond in a Christ-like way to the issue of homosexuality
." Love Won Out was sold to a former affiliate Exodus International
as a downsizing measure in Focus on the Family, which had a record profit loss of $6 million by August 2009.
specific biological or genetic cause for homosexuality". It is the opinion of Love Won Out that "the foundation of society for the family is marriage of a man and a woman for life... Scripture is very clear in its condemnation of homosexual conduct, for such sin is a deviation from God's creation and design." Dr. James Dobson adds that God loves the homosexual as much as any other person.
Love Won Out believes that the Bible
regards homosexual conduct as sin
.
Love Won Out says that "The media and others have misrepresented male homosexuality as a pre-determined, biological condition", and that "Contrary to the popular myth that homosexuality is genetic, same-sex attraction is a preventable and treatable condition" The conferences focus on what it terms "the family dynamics that can lead to the development of same-sex desires", stressing that homosexuality is abnormal, claiming, "The goal of gay activists is to "overhaul" America with the message that homosexuality is normal and healthy."
Love Won Out wants to help people who want to understand factors that lead to homosexuality and assist those who struggle with unwanted same-sex attractions. They teach that the root cause of homosexuality is a gender-identity
problem. According to their belief, homosexuality in males is caused by a "dominant mother with a quiet, withdrawn, non expressive and/or hostile father, and an introverted, artistic, imaginative son." They also believe that this is accompanied by poor communication between the mother and the father, and the son having a closer relationship with the mother and an antagonistic relationship with the father.
Love Won Out concurs with one position of the American Psychiatric Association
when it states “some people believe that sexual orientation is innate and fixed; however, sexual orientation develops across a person’s lifetime,”.
Love Won Out states that "marriage will continue to be 'redefined'" and that Same-Sex Marriage may mean for our society: "possible threats to freedom of speech and religious liberty." The conference makes a point to "effectively argue for the benefits of traditional marriage to their friends, co-workers and legislators," and says that gay marriage is not in the best interest of families and children. The organization states that same-sex marriage places adult desires above the best interest of our children, "same-sex marriage intentionally creates motherless or fatherless families."
; as of October 2008, 52 conferences had been held. The conferences "exist to help men and women dissatisfied with living homosexually understand that same-sex attractions can be overcome." Conferences have counseling sessions, seminars on homosexuality and advice for families with gay
or lesbian
relatives. There are also group lectures, where participants hear "powerful stories of ex-gay men and women." In addition, conferences challenge Christian churches to reach out to the gay community.
represented NARTH at the Love Won Out Conference speaking on "Prevention of Male Homosexuality" and on "The Condition of Male Homosexuality". Dr. Nicolosi is the president and principal research investigator for NARTH, Nicolosi is also the clinical director of the Thomas Aquinas Psychological Clinic in Encino, Calif., where he works with persons suffering undesired same-sex attraction.
is another ex-gay group. Exodus-affiliated groups work with homosexual persons, seeking to achieve "freedom from homosexuality" which Exodus believes include abstinence, lessening of same-sex attraction, and change of inappropriate gender roles. Mike Haley speaks in the Love Won Out conference and is chairman of the board of Exodus International.
responded "Regardless of what the media might say, Focus on the Family has no interest in promoting hatred toward homosexuals or anyone else. We also don't wish to deprive them of their basic constitutional rights. The Constitution applies to all of us."
Ex-gay
The ex-gay movement consists of people and organizations that seek to get people to refrain from entering or pursuing same-sex relationships, to eliminate homosexual desires, to develop heterosexual desires, or to enter into a heterosexual relationship...
ministry launched by Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family is an American evangelical Christian tax-exempt non-profit organization founded in 1977 by psychologist James Dobson, and is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Focus on the Family is one of a number of evangelical parachurch organizations that rose to prominence in the 1980s...
in 1998. It was founded by John Paulk
John Paulk
John Paulk is an American ex-gay and conversion therapy advocate and author. He is the former leader of Focus on the Family's Love Won Out conference and was chairman of the board of Exodus International North America from 1995 to 2000. His 2000 autobiography Not Afraid to Change addresses his...
. Its stated purpose is "to exhort and equip Christian churches to respond in a Christ-like way to the issue of homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
." Love Won Out was sold to a former affiliate Exodus International
Exodus International
Exodus International is a non-profit, interdenominational ex-gay Christian organization founded by Michael Bussee, Gary Cooper, Frank Worthen, Ron Dennis, and Greg Reid...
as a downsizing measure in Focus on the Family, which had a record profit loss of $6 million by August 2009.
Views
Love Won Out's stated objective is to help men and women "who struggle with unwanted same-sex attractions", believing that "same-sex attractions can be overcome", and asserting that "there are no conclusive studies supporting anyspecific biological or genetic cause for homosexuality". It is the opinion of Love Won Out that "the foundation of society for the family is marriage of a man and a woman for life... Scripture is very clear in its condemnation of homosexual conduct, for such sin is a deviation from God's creation and design." Dr. James Dobson adds that God loves the homosexual as much as any other person.
Love Won Out believes that the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
regards homosexual conduct as sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
.
Love Won Out says that "The media and others have misrepresented male homosexuality as a pre-determined, biological condition", and that "Contrary to the popular myth that homosexuality is genetic, same-sex attraction is a preventable and treatable condition" The conferences focus on what it terms "the family dynamics that can lead to the development of same-sex desires", stressing that homosexuality is abnormal, claiming, "The goal of gay activists is to "overhaul" America with the message that homosexuality is normal and healthy."
Love Won Out wants to help people who want to understand factors that lead to homosexuality and assist those who struggle with unwanted same-sex attractions. They teach that the root cause of homosexuality is a gender-identity
Gender identity
A gender identity is the way in which an individual self-identifies with a gender category, for example, as being either a man or a woman, or in some cases being neither, which can be distinct from biological sex. Basic gender identity is usually formed by age three and is extremely difficult to...
problem. According to their belief, homosexuality in males is caused by a "dominant mother with a quiet, withdrawn, non expressive and/or hostile father, and an introverted, artistic, imaginative son." They also believe that this is accompanied by poor communication between the mother and the father, and the son having a closer relationship with the mother and an antagonistic relationship with the father.
Love Won Out concurs with one position of the American Psychiatric Association
American Psychiatric Association
The American Psychiatric Association is the main professional organization of psychiatrists and trainee psychiatrists in the United States, and the most influential worldwide. Its some 38,000 members are mainly American but some are international...
when it states “some people believe that sexual orientation is innate and fixed; however, sexual orientation develops across a person’s lifetime,”.
Homosexuality and politics
Love Won Out claims that the goal of the "gay agenda" is "Normalization through desensitization, Undermining parental moral authority, and equating homosexuality to heterosexuality."Love Won Out states that "marriage will continue to be 'redefined'" and that Same-Sex Marriage may mean for our society: "possible threats to freedom of speech and religious liberty." The conference makes a point to "effectively argue for the benefits of traditional marriage to their friends, co-workers and legislators," and says that gay marriage is not in the best interest of families and children. The organization states that same-sex marriage places adult desires above the best interest of our children, "same-sex marriage intentionally creates motherless or fatherless families."
Conferences
Love Won Out holds conferences multiple times a year throughout the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; as of October 2008, 52 conferences had been held. The conferences "exist to help men and women dissatisfied with living homosexually understand that same-sex attractions can be overcome." Conferences have counseling sessions, seminars on homosexuality and advice for families with gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
or lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
relatives. There are also group lectures, where participants hear "powerful stories of ex-gay men and women." In addition, conferences challenge Christian churches to reach out to the gay community.
Affiliation with NARTH
Love Won Out collaborates with NARTH. On November 4, 2006, Joseph NicolosiJoseph Nicolosi
Joseph Nicolosi is an American clinical psychologist, founder and director of the Thomas Aquinas Psychological Clinic, in Encino, California, and a past-president of the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality...
represented NARTH at the Love Won Out Conference speaking on "Prevention of Male Homosexuality" and on "The Condition of Male Homosexuality". Dr. Nicolosi is the president and principal research investigator for NARTH, Nicolosi is also the clinical director of the Thomas Aquinas Psychological Clinic in Encino, Calif., where he works with persons suffering undesired same-sex attraction.
Sale to Exodus International
Exodus International bought the Love Won Out conference in 2009. Gary Schneeberger, Focus on the Family's vice president of media and public relations issued a statement stating "...the conferences rarely have recouped the financial investment made in them...Our financial challenges (at Focus on the Family) have led us to recognize a strategic opportunity that makes sense..." Exodus InternationalExodus International
Exodus International is a non-profit, interdenominational ex-gay Christian organization founded by Michael Bussee, Gary Cooper, Frank Worthen, Ron Dennis, and Greg Reid...
is another ex-gay group. Exodus-affiliated groups work with homosexual persons, seeking to achieve "freedom from homosexuality" which Exodus believes include abstinence, lessening of same-sex attraction, and change of inappropriate gender roles. Mike Haley speaks in the Love Won Out conference and is chairman of the board of Exodus International.
Other criticism
In October 2008, a "Love Came Out" conference was organized to coincide with a Love Won Out conference in Colorado Springs, featuring "gay speakers who participated in so-called reparative programs and now question such faith-based attempts to change one's sexual orientation." James DobsonJames Dobson
James Clayton "Jim" Dobson, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian author, psychologist, and founder in 1977 of Focus on the Family , which he led until 2003. In the 1980s he was ranked as one of the most influential spokesman for conservative social positions in American public life...
responded "Regardless of what the media might say, Focus on the Family has no interest in promoting hatred toward homosexuals or anyone else. We also don't wish to deprive them of their basic constitutional rights. The Constitution applies to all of us."
See also
- Conversion therapy
- Homosexuality and ChristianityHomosexuality and ChristianityChristian denominations hold a variety of views on the issues of sexual orientation and homosexuality, ranging from outright condemnation to complete acceptance. In accordance with the traditional values of Abrahamic religions, most Christian denominations welcome people attracted to the same sex,...
- Watchmen on the WallsWatchmen on the WallsWatchmen on the Walls is an international evangelical ministry based in Riga, Latvia. It describes itself as "the international Christian movement that unites Christian leaders, Christian and social organizations and aims to protect Christian morals and values in society." According to a Southern...
External links
- Love Won Out, official website
- MSNBC weighs in on the Love Won Out debate